Indigenous Australian seasons

Indigenous Australians have distinct ways of dividing the year up. Naming and understanding of seasons differed between groups, and depending on where in Australia the group lives. Below are a few examples of different groups and their seasons.

Contents

The Yolngu, Indigenous Australians of North-East Arnhem Land, identify six seasons. Non-Indigenous people currently living in the Top End identify two— the Wet and the Dry. (Arguably, the build-up period between dry and wet is coming to be identified as a distinct third season.) The six Yolngu seasons, and their characteristics, are:

Season name

Period

Weather

Flora and fauna

Seasonal activities

Mirdawarr

Late March,
April

End of wet season with scattered showers. Wind in south-east quarter but air still hot & humid.

Vegetable foods becoming plentiful. Fish numerous.

People generally sedentary & living in big camps. Nomadic movement restricted by floodwaters. Long rank grass & mosquitoes. Macassar traders used to depart at this time with south-east winds. Goose-hunting expeditions into swamps. Fishing, especially large-scale communal fishing operations and drives where floodwaters receding; including basket traps in weirs, nets and the gurl in use only in the valley of the Glyde River.

Dhaarratharramirri

Late April,
May,
June,
July,
August

South-east or dry season. Wind in east and south-east

People nomadic; big wet-season camps breaking up. Systematic burning of all extensive grassed areas, communal drives for kangaroo, bandicoots, goanna. Fishing still important, with nets, grass barriers, in shallow waters on plains & salt pans. August to November (inclusive) is the most important period for ceremonial activities.

The 'nose of the wet season', with or bringing thunder - late October. Period of maximum heat and humidity immediately before the rain season, characterised by violent thunder storms of increasing frequency.

Nomadic activities much restricted. People generally in camps near permanent water.

Baarramirri

Late December,
January

Short season with wind in north-west; breaking of the wet. Also called munydjutjmirri from the fruit of munydjutj. Two kinds of north-west wind recognised: (i) Baarra yindi, the big, or gurrkamirri (male), baarra; (ii) Baarra nyukukurniny, the small, or dhuykun (female), baarra. The first refers to the more boisterous north-west gales, the second to the gentler breezes from the north-west.

Macassar fleets used to arrive with north-west winds (baarra) and disperse to regular sites for trepang fishing. People concentrated in wet season camps leading almost sedentary life. Inland travel restricted by floods and dense growth of rank grass.

Gurnmul orWaltjarnmirri

January,
February,
March

Wet season proper. Two phases, the first, girritjarra is again subdivided into three.

The beginning of the cold weather. Tjuntalpa (clouds) start around April but usually don't bring rain. They come from the south, brought mainly by westerly winds, and sit low over the hills till late in the day.

Reptiles hibernate. (Wanitjunkupai literally means "hibernate").

Wari

Late May,
June,
July

The cold time when there is nyinnga (frost) and kulyakulyarpa (mist or dew) every morning, but little rain.

Piriyakutu/ Piriya-Piriya

~August,
September

This is when the priya comes – a warm steady wind from the north and west.

Animals breed. Food plants flower, fruit and seed. Hibernating reptiles come out and the honey grevillea is in bloom.

Movement to the coast. Sweet gum gathered by removing the bark from the moodjar or WA Christmas Tree (Nuytsia floribunda). Collection of yams (Dioscorea hastifolia and Platysace cirrosa). Collection of eggs from waterfowl and other birds. Catching of yaarkin (tortoises), kooyal (frogs), gilgie (freshwater crayfish). Trapping of possums and kangaroos.